Operating Systems Posts - Page 3

To say Microsoft has been aggressive with encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 10 would be an understatement. Finally though, it says it will tweak the prompts to be more straightforward. By the sounds and looks of it, declining the offer will actually decline the offer now, instead of scheduling it without you knowing.

"Since we introduced a new upgrade experience for Windows 10, we've received feedback that some of our valued customers found it confusing," says Windows chief Terry Myerson. "We've been working hard to incorporate their feedback and this week, we'll roll out a new upgrade experience with clear options to upgrade now, schedule a time, or decline the free offer."

Microsoft has been teasing the Anniversary Update for Windows 10 for many months now, and it appears we finally have a release date. Although late July was expected, a blog post published by the company earlier today read "Microsoft announces Windows 10 Anniversary Update available Aug. 2", before it was quickly pulled.

The Anniversary Update will bring a variety of improvements and new features to the operating system, including Microsoft Edge extension support, interface changes, Cortana goodies, and much more.

If you've ever experienced issues with the Start menu in Windows 10 (won't open, tiles disappearing, etc.), Microsoft has a cure for what ails you. The newly released Start menu troubleshooter will automagically check for and repair any issues it finds.

To download it, click here for the direct link or here for the indirect link if you're the cautious type. And if you're having trouble with the Store or your printer, official troubleshooters exist for that too and can be found with a simple search on the Microsoft support website.

If you're a Windows Insider, starting with yesterday's Build 14371 you can link your Windows 10 license with your Microsoft account (MSA). The feature is already activated if you use your MSA to login to Windows 10. If you don't, simply do so and you should be on your way.

The change solves two issues: needing to keep your license key stored somewhere and being unable to activate Windows if you've lost your key. It also pushes the operating system even further into the digital realm for the better.

The bad news is licenses are still limited (how much exactly we don't know yet), but it's an understandable necessity given how easy it would be to share a license infinitely with your login details.

Microsoft has changed the hardware requirements of Windows 10 in light of the looming Anniversary Update. On the whole, these are for the better, allowing a wider range of devices to use the operating system.

Once the update is live, Windows 10 Mobile devices up to 9'' will be able to run it (versus the previous 7.99''), whereas the desktop version can be installed on devices with screens as small as 7'' (down from 8'').

RAM requirements are now up for 32-bit versions of the OS: 2GB versus the previous 1GB. As for storage, that's now at 16GB and 20GB for 32-bit and 64-bit devices, respectively.

Google will be releasing Android N later this year, but during its ongoing Google I/O event, the company has begun peeling back the layers from Android 7.0 and teasing the world.

Android 7.0 focuses on the way users interact with the OS, with improvements to the already great user experience that'll be made through faster runtime and reduced storage space that gets sucked up by apps. Google is bringing the most optimized experience to Android 7.0, explaining: "We are redesigning how the features and the OS works to make the user experience better".

Google took to its Twitter account, tweeting: "The biggest changes in Android N are around performance, security and productivity". Android 7.0 will include a new Direct Reply feature that will let you long press a notification, and then respond directly from the notification itself. Improved multi-tasking abilities will arrive with Android 7.0, with split-screen support and an iOS-like Picture-in-Picture mode.

Microsoft has at long last released what's effectively Windows 7 Service Pack 2 (SP2): a "convenience rollup" of updates that makes a fresh install or format of the beloved operating system much simpler than it has been. Until now, you'd have to install tons and tons of separate updates and reboot approximately a bajillion times in order to keep the OS current, but this update changes all that.

Back in January, Apple released its exciting Night Shift mode, making your screen easier on the eyes at night time and helping you get sleepy when you should. Unfortunately, Night Shift could not be used in conjunction with Low Power Mode, a key feature for many users looking to make their battery last as long as possible.

The 9.3.2 update released today for all iOS 9 users changes that, allowing you to use both Night Shift and Low Power Mode simultaneously, in addition to sporting minor performance improvements and a fix for audio issues observed when pairing Bluetooth accessories with the iPhone SE.

The Windows 10 free upgrade will expire July 29, and with it will go the 'Get Windows 10' nagware that's been so persistent for Windows 7 and 8 users these last months.

"Details are still being finalized, but on July 29th the Get Windows 10 app that facilitates the easy upgrade to Windows 10 will be disabled and eventually removed from PCs worldwide," said a Microsoft company spokesperson. "Just as it took time to ramp up and roll out the Get Windows 10 app, it will take time to ramp it down."

Despite that, the company wouldn't confirm or deny the possibility of extending the offer prior to July 29, so the nagware disappearing isn't set in stone.

Microsoft's recent KB3133977 update for Windows 7 means those with ASUS motherboards will no longer be able to boot into their operating system. Instead, they'll be greeted with a red screen of death that cites a "secure boot violation."

The source of the issue is KB3133977, which enables Secure Boot in UEFI and is evidently an issue in this specific configuration. While it's been confirmed for awhile now, the update was always optional, until Microsoft recently made it mandatory for an unknown reason.